Blogging is about to become dangerous

Bloggers face a troubled future. Never before in societies around the world has so much public opinion been made public. Up until a decade or so ago, political authorities were able to keep the lid on dissent. True, there were some major issues, such as the UK Poll Tax riots, but largely any argument with the political elite had to be channelled through organisations – and that meant they could be monitored.

Thanks to blogging, opinions from individuals can reach millions and in turn they can spread those thoughts far and wide before governments are even aware. No longer can politicians so easily manipulate public opinion. Nowadays – and increasingly – they are on the back foot. The Internet, blogging in particular, has fuelled a significant amount of public thinking which politicians cannot easily control.

So, when political systems have a problem like this, then they start fighting back. Bloggers are in prison in some countries, simply for writing their thoughts on the web. Even in the USA a blogger faces jail and in the hallowed halls of the United Nations recently attempts were made to silence a popular blogger.

Of course, you could argue that in each of these cases the blogger has done more than simply write their thoughts – the courts have agreed, for instance, that the bloggers involved caused offence or harassment. But the fact that the courts around the world are getting involved in cases against bloggers or those who Tweet is an indication that the world of “free speech” is only really “free” if it doesn’t upset the political apple cart.

Here in the UK, the botched legislation in the wake of the Levison Enquiry looks like it has such grey areas that it will catch many bloggers – in spite of attempts at reassurance from civil servants. Indeed, the Leveson Enquiry only looked at print – even though all of the newspapers called to give evidence have vast audiences online, the Enquiry was asked only to look at print. The online world only got a single mention in the four volumes of the report.

Yet, the legislation now agreed by the politicians at Westminster appears it is going to cover online writers in many instances, even though the Enquiry which led to the new laws did not even investigate that arena. Cynics might say that the politicians have seen an opportunity where they could introduce legislation that also encapsulated the world of blogging so they could limit the impact of web-based free speech.

Ultimately, though, it all means one thing. If you blog, you must do so within the laws for your country. That means if you want to stay out of trouble you need to learn publishing law if you want your blog to stay untouched online. I recommend the excellent text book McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists to keep you on your toes and prevent you from ending up in court.

Other posts that might interest you:

Continued Growth of the “Internet of Me”… National Cyber Security Awareness Month reminds all digital citizens to stay educated about cutting-edge technology and better protect against their associated threats

We are all journalists now. http://tinyurl.com/ca47def. What people say down the pub becomes something quite different when it’s published. People have to learn the difference or pay the price. “I’m entitled to my opinion” is a poor defence for libel or defamation.

I’ve recently shut down my blog. Why? Decided I don’t want to continue to bare my soul to the public…and wind up having it used against me when I want a better job or to find a date. Not worth it. There’s power in silence and keeping things in real time.

About Graham Jones

I am a psychologist who specialises in Internet use and behaviour. I can help your business profit through a better understanding of the online behaviour of your customers and potential clients.

Sales Chat Show podcast

Recent Blog Posts

Outside working could have significant benefits for your business. Research shows that we learn more and remember more when we are in the open air, than when we are inside a building. It seems that being indoors affects our attention......Read More.....

Mindfulness is increasingly popular. But is it just a fad or can mindfulness help you improve your online business? This article looks at the ways in which mindfulness can help your online business or your website......Read More.....

Sensory gratification marketing is easy to do in the real world. People can pick up and touch products, they can feel them, smell them, listen to them, even taste them. But online almost none of that is possible. So how can you use sensory gratification marketing on a web page? ….....Read More.....

Links are useful because people click on them and get directed to your web pages. Many links, though, have been placed around the web for SEO (search engine optimisation) and that's a waste of time. Indeed, Google says you don't need to bother with this. The search engine can find ….....Read More.....

Email overload is a significant problem affecting every office worker. Half the working day is now spent on email thanks to the overload. Each of us having to cope with more than 300 emails per day. Here are five ways you can cope with email overload and avoid the associated ….....Read More.....

Internet Coaching

Get yourself coached to make more money online. Using my telephone coaching service for online business owners you can discover how to use the power of psychology to improve your online business and understand the behaviour of your web customers so you can sell more. Click Here for full details.

Web Workshops

Discover how your business can use the power of psychology to sell more online. With my series of half-day internet psychology workshops you'll find out just how you can make more money online, no matter what size or type of business you run. There are workshops on marketing, sales, pricing and content strategy. You can also have workshops designed specifically for your needs.

Content Strategy

Find out how your business can plan for a better online future using the content strategy consultancy services I offer. Businesses use my advice to ensure they improve their online business by providing content that taps into the psychology of their website visitors and customers. You will get a complete plan for the future of your website. Click here to find out more.

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new window. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

>

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.